1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to shipping containers, such as are used for the shipping of fruit and vegetables, in particular to stackable shipping containers fabricated from paper, paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard.
2. Prior Art
Stackable shipping containers, fabricated in whole or in part, from paper, paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard, are employed for the shipping of fruits and vegetables from packing plants to grocery stores and the like.
Many stackable shipping container designs, particularly those that are lidless (relying upon the bottom of an adjacent upper container to cover the open top of the lower container), use an interior gusseted corner that extends from one side, to an adjacent side. This interior gusseted corner typically forms a diagonal interior corner. This type of interior corner provides good stacking strength and bottom support for any similar containers stacked above. The formation of this corner structure is typically accomplished through two perpendicular and parallel score lines that create an angled corner (typically 45 degrees). While this corner may provide support for a larger surface area, than a container having only a simple 90-degree corner with no diagonal structure, it may also consume potentially valuable container space and volume, taking that volume away from being occupied by product.
Many such open-topped shipping containers are also provided with inclined sidewalls. The purpose of such inclined side walls is to provide additional resistance to outward bulging of the side walls, such as may be caused by products that have large mass per item, such as large tree fruit and the like. The inclined side walls may also provide assistance in obtaining more secure indexing of the stacking alignment tabs that are usually provided on the top edges of the side walls, which are received in slots provided along the edges of the bottom walls of the containers, so that like containers may be stacked to prevent relative lateral movement of one such container stacked atop another such container. By providing inclined walls, the slots in the bottom wall are to the inside of the peripheral edge of the bottom wall, rather than being located at the peripheral edge, so that the bulging forces exerted by the contained product will be less likely to force the tabs to be popped out of their respective slots.
It would be desirable to provide a stackable shipping container that is provided with corner supports that provide added support, in the form of stacking strength, to the bottoms of above-stacked like containers, but without removing so much volume from the volume available for containing product.
It would also be desirable to provide a stackable shipping container, that is provided with inclined side walls, for resistance to bulging, and for permitting more positive indexing of the tabs of one container into the slots in the bottom of an above adjacent stacked container.
These and other desirable characteristics of the invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, including claims, and drawings.
The present invention is directed in part to a stackable shipping container formed from a blank, wherein the blank comprises a substantially rectangular bottom wall having two perpendicularly arranged pairs of opposed side edge regions. First and second pairs of opposed first sidewalls, emanate from the two perpendicularly arranged pairs of opposed side edge regions. One pair of opposed second sidewalls emanates from first edge regions of the first pair of opposed first sidewalls. Pairs of first minor flaps emanate from second edge regions of each of the first pair of opposed first sidewalls. Pairs of second minor flaps are connected to third edge regions of each of the pair of opposed second sidewalls.
Nonrectangular gusset panels are disposed substantially between the second minor flaps and the respective adjacent end edge regions of the respective second sidewalls.
The first and second pairs of opposed first sidewalls, the pair of opposed second sidewalls, and the pairs of first minor flaps and pairs of second minor flaps are operably configured, upon articulation, so that each of the second sidewalls is folded inwardly, in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective one of the first pair of first sidewalls, each of the first minor flaps is in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective adjacent one of the second pair of first sidewalls, and each of the second minor flaps is in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective one of the first minor flaps.
The nonrectangular gusset panels are provided with a top region having a width that is greater than the width at a bottom region thereof, so that upon articulation of the blank, the nonrectangular gusset panels extend diagonally across corner regions of the stackable shipping container, with the top regions of the nonrectangular gusset panels extending farther inwardly into an interior region of the stackable shipping container than the bottom regions of the nonrectangular gusset panels.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one pair of first sidewalls is longer than the other pair of first sidewalls.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second minor flaps have angled bottom edges so that upon articulation of the blank, at least the first pair of first side walls and the pair of second sidewalls are inwardly inclined with respect to the bottom wall.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the nonrectangular gusset panels are defined by pairs of fold lines disposed between the second minor flaps and the respective adjacent end edge regions of the respective second sidewalls, in which the fold lines have an acute angle subtended between them.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the fold lines defining the nonrectangular gusset panels do not intersect within the blank. Alternatively, the fold lines defining the nonrectangular gusset panels intersect at the edge regions of the blank. In a still further alternative embodiment, the fold lines defining the nonrectangular gusset panels intersect at positions inwardly removed from edge regions of the blank.
The stackable shipping container further comprises one or more stacking tabs defined by cutout regions disposed between the first pair of opposed first sidewalls and respective ones of the pair of opposed second sidewalls; and one or more stacking tab receiving apertures disposed in the bottom wall. The one or more stacking tabs of the stackable shipping container may be configured to cooperate with and be insertingly received by the slots of a similar stackable shipping container stacked atop the stackable shipping container.
The present invention is directed in part to a blank for a stackable shipping container, wherein the blank comprises a substantially rectangular bottom wall having two perpendicularly arranged pairs of opposed side edge regions. First and second pairs of opposed first sidewalls, emanate from the two perpendicularly arranged pairs of opposed side edge regions. One pair of opposed second sidewalls emanates from first edge regions of the first pair of opposed first sidewalls. Pairs of first minor flaps emanate from second edge regions of each of the first pair of opposed first sidewalls. Pairs of second minor flaps are connected to third edge regions of each of the pair of opposed second sidewalls.
Nonrectangular gusset panels are disposed substantially between the second minor flaps and the respective adjacent end edge regions of the respective second sidewalls.
The first and second pairs of opposed first sidewalls, the pair of opposed second sidewalls, and the pairs of first minor flaps and pairs of second minor flaps are operably configured, upon articulation, so that each of the second sidewalls is folded inwardly, in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective one of the first pair of first sidewalls, each of the first minor flaps is in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective adjacent one of the second pair of first sidewalls, and each of the second minor flaps is in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective one of the first minor flaps.
The nonrectangular gusset panels are provided with a top region having a width that is greater than the width at a bottom region thereof, so that upon articulation of the blank, the nonrectangular gusset panels extend diagonally across corner regions of the stackable shipping container, with the top regions of the nonrectangular gusset panels extending farther inwardly into an interior region of the stackable shipping container than the bottom regions of the nonrectangular gusset panels.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one pair of first sidewalls is longer than the other pair of first sidewalls.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second minor flaps have angled bottom edges so that upon articulation of the blank, at least the first pair of first side walls and the pair of second sidewalls are inwardly inclined with respect to the bottom wall.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the nonrectangular gusset panels are defined by pairs of fold lines disposed between the second minor flaps and the respective adjacent end edge regions of the respective second sidewalls, in which the fold lines have an acute angle subtended between them.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the fold lines defining the nonrectangular gusset panels do not intersect within the blank. Alternatively, the fold lines defining the nonrectangular gusset panels intersect at the edge regions of the blank. In a still further alternative embodiment, the fold lines defining the nonrectangular gusset panels intersect at positions inwardly removed from edge regions of the blank.
The blank further comprises one or more stacking tabs defined by cutout regions disposed between the first pair of opposed first sidewalls and respective ones of the pair of opposed second sidewalls; and one or more stacking tab receiving apertures disposed in the bottom wall. The one or more stacking tabs, upon articulation of the blank into a stackable shipping container may be configured to cooperate with and be insertingly received by the slots of a similarly articulated similar blank articulated into a similar stackable shipping container stacked atop the stackable shipping container formed from the articulated blank.
According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the stackable shipping container is formed from a blank that is configured so that the first and second minor flaps emanate from the first pair of first side walls and the pair of second sidewalls, respectively, by inclined fold lines, so that upon articulation of the blank, the second pair of first sidewalls are also inwardly inclined with respect to the bottom wall.
The present invention also includes, in an alternative embodiment, a blank having first and second minor flaps emanating from the first pair of first side walls and the pair of second sidewalls, respectively, by inclined fold lines, so that upon articulation of the blank, the second pair of first sidewalls are also inwardly inclined with respect to the bottom wall.
The present invention is also directed to a stackable shipping container formed from a blank. The blank comprises a substantially rectangular bottom wall having two perpendicularly arranged pairs of opposed side edge regions. First and second pairs of opposed first sidewalls emanate from the two perpendicularly arranged pairs of opposed side edge regions. One pair of opposed second sidewalls emanate from first edge regions of the first pair of opposed first sidewalls. Pairs of first minor flaps emanate from second edge regions of each of the first pair of opposed first sidewalls. Pairs of second minor flaps are connected to third edge regions of each of the pair of opposed second sidewalls. Non-rectangular gusset panels are disposed substantially between the second minor flaps and the respective adjacent end edge regions of the respective second sidewalls. The first and second pairs of opposed first sidewalls, the pair of opposed second sidewalls, and the pairs of first minor flaps and pairs of second minor flaps are operably configured, upon articulation, so that each of the second sidewalls is folded inwardly, in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective one of the first pair of first sidewalls, each of the first minor flaps is in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective adjacent one of the second pair of first sidewalls, and each of the second minor flaps is in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective one of the first minor flaps. Each of the non-rectangular gusset panels being defined by pairs of fold lines, each of which extend substantially obliquely with respect to fold lines separating the opposed first sidewalls from the bottom wall.
The present invention is also directed to a stackable shipping container formed from a blank. The blank comprises a substantially rectangular bottom wall having two perpendicularly arranged pairs of opposed side edge regions. First and second pairs of opposed first sidewalls emanate from the two perpendicularly arranged pairs of opposed side edge regions. One pair of opposed second sidewalls emanate from first edge regions of the first pair of opposed first sidewalls. Pairs of first minor flaps emanate from second edge regions of each of the first pair of opposed first sidewalls. Pairs of second minor flaps are connected to third edge regions of each of the pair of opposed second sidewalls. Rectangular gusset panels are disposed substantially between the second minor flaps and the respective adjacent end edge regions of the respective second sidewalls. The first and second pairs of opposed first sidewalls, the pair of opposed second sidewalls, and the pairs of first minor flaps and pairs of second minor flaps are operably configured, upon articulation, so that each of the second sidewalls is folded inwardly, in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective one of the first pair of first sidewalls, each of the first minor flaps is in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective adjacent one of the second pair of first sidewalls, and each of the second minor flaps is in juxtaposed overlying relation to an inside surface of a respective one of the first minor flaps. Each of the rectangular gusset panels being defined by pairs of fold lines, each of which extend substantially obliquely with respect to fold lines separating the opposed first sidewalls from the bottom wall.